


Duty Is The Death Of Love

by RaijinFenrir



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Blue Lions Route AU!, Character Death, F/F, Slight cameo by Sylvain!, might be spoilers for some so thread carefully!, post-timeskip blue lions!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-10-02 00:37:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20451323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaijinFenrir/pseuds/RaijinFenrir
Summary: The war was about to come to a close, the united forces of both the Kingdom and the Alliance finally  broke through Fort Merceus and was about to engage Edelgard in a final fight within the city of Enbarr. Through it all Ingrid had served her king even if she wished to be on a certain songstress' side instead. With a determined heart, Ingrid sets off to find Dorothea during the siege of Enbarr in order to whisk her away from the final moments of the war.





	Duty Is The Death Of Love

**Author's Note:**

> I only managed to finish Blue Lions Route as of the moment and I'm still a bit unsure on how to write the characters yet so apologies if it may feel a bit OOC! Honestly, this was an idea that randomly popped in my head and was originally just an idea on twitter. But, I couldn't exactly leave it at that so I had to convert it into a fic! Regardless, I still hope you get to enjoy the story!

Today, the war shall end one way or another. The Kingdom's army had taken Fort Merceus and now nothing stood between them and the Imperial Capital of Enbarr. The army was poised outside the city gates, weapons at the ready as they awaited for their king's orders.

Ingrid tightly held the reins of her Pegasi. She had been tasked to break through the city's defenses from the sky along with the Kingdom's Battalion of Pegasus Knights. A big task for a young  _ knight _ such as herself but Dimitri did not trust anyone else but her. When the war ends, should they win then she would serve the royal family as one of its knights. Ingrid never bothered to entertain the thought of losing.

It was now or never.

"Hey Ingrid, feeling nervous?" Sylvain asked with that familiar smile on his face. He would be leading House Gautier's famous cavalry in the frontlines. Felix would be right beside him with the might of House Fraldarius under his command. It was funny how a war needed to happen in order for the three of them to properly reignite their friendship.

"To be honest? Yes. I feel nervous but more importantly I'm scared."

If the world was peaceful, Ingrid wondered if they would have been as close as they were right now. It was easier to spill out her feelings now to Sylvain. He was a flirt but he was also an incredibly good listener. 

When Dimitri and the professor had disappeared it had been Sylvain who had constantly pestered her about her well-being. When Edelgard first attacked the monastery she had been with Sylvain and Felix as they fought off the forces at the rear. When Dorothea had first turned her blade on her it was Sylvain who had rescued her and listened to the woes of a broken heart right after.

"Are you scared of losing?" Sylvain looked towards the battlefield, the sun was at its highest point and the chances of it ever raining was close to nil.

"Or are you scared of meeting her again?"

Ingrid's shoulders tensed as Sylvain was right on the dot. She wasn't frightened of dying in battle. She wasn't frightened of losing. What frightened Ingrid the most was the possibility of crossing blades with Dorothea. They were in the same class once. Dorothea had shifted to the Blue Lion's room after Byleth had recruited her. However, when the monastery was attacked Dorothea had been one of those who had supported Edelgard.

Her pained face was still vivid in Ingrid's mind. The way Dorothea's eyes reflected agony and regret when the cold steel of her blade pierced through Ingrid's side. The way her lips trembled as she chanted an apology over and over. The way her tears fell when the deed was done and she had blasted Ingrid away with her magic.

It was as clear as day that she hated the very thought of war among their friends. Ingrid wanted to take her away from all of that if she could help it. Among all of the scars that she had received from the war, the one Dorothea dealt hurt the most. It burned whenever she slept and the memory replays in her sleep.

"Sylvain. I wouldn't know what to do if I meet her. I don't know what's the right thing to do…"

Luin's shaft seemed to grow colder with each passing second. Her relic grew heavier at the very thought of using it against Dorothea. Even if she was their enemy, the thought of harming her sickened Ingrid to the core. She could kill a random soldier on the field but if it was against someone she knew and valued her lance often faltered.

"There's nothing wrong or right anymore on the battlefield. Only the things we want to do and wish for to happen. The things we fight for and the things we would die for."

Sylvain gave her a comforting smile. Sometimes as idiotic as he appeared Sylvain hid a certain kind of wisdom that she learned to appreciate.

"No matter what you choose to do, me and Felix would always have your back. So do what you have to do it's easy to  _ 'escape'  _ from the battlefield when it's so chaotic after all."

Escape.

Ingrid wanted to escape with Dorothea. She wanted to get her away from the chaos of the capital. She understood what Sylvain just suggested. He and Felix would create a ruckus so great that when all eyes are on them, Ingrid can slip away from the front lines and look for Dorothea.

"Thank you, Sylvain. Just promise me you and Felix would take care of yourselves out there too."

"I promise. Us three would go back out of this alive and we'll have dinner in the monastery's dining hall just like before." And with one last smile, Sylvain had turned to leave and Ingrid resolved herself to do what needed to be done.

"Dorothea… wait for me…"

Enbarr was the Imperial Capital, the heart of the Adrestian Empire. The battle won't be easy and the battlefield would be filled with mages and archers but if she must go through hell in order to find her then she will. Dorothea would have done the same for her if it was the other way around. She was sure of it.

Ingrid steeled herself as the drums of war heralded the start. Dimitri raised his spear and the colors of the Kingdom was now in full view for everyone to see. The soldiers responded with an earth-shattering cry as the vanguard rushed to the battlefield, they were led by Felix as his sword cuts through the enemy soldier's defenses. Sylvain charged from the rear, and led House Gautier's cavalry, trampling the Empire's infantry in the process. Ingrid followed suit with her battalion of Pegasus Knights right behind her. They swooped down from the skies and flanked the enemy's cavalry.

The Imperial army was in disarray. Most of their capable generals had either been killed or defected to the kingdom. Hubert did all he could do in order to hold out until reinforcements arrived but the Kingdom's army was relentless with their attacks. Arrows rained down from the heavens as former members of the Alliance that had sworn fealty to the King of Faerghus wielded their bows for the sake of the Holy Kingdom. 

Blood rained on the battlefield and Ingrid didn't know whose side was it that bled the most. She maneuvered her steed along the skies and dodged arrows and firebolts alike as the aerial battalion destroyed the ballistas mounted atop the city walls. Her spear pierced through a soldier's armor and drenched its blade in crimson. This was the reality of war, in the battlefield either you live long enough to see victory or die in a blink. Ingrid doesn't ask for forgiveness, everyone fought fully knowing the consequences. She fought for the Kingdom, these soldiers fought for the Empire.

They were right. This was far from the legends she grew up with. There was no joy in war. Even if one's name is etched forever in the annals of history the grim reality of such a thing would haunt her forever. She had lived through a war and she wished this could very well be the last one that she had to fight in.

Ingrid raised her spear, a signal for the ground troops to know that the walls have been breached and the skies were theirs. The kingdom's soldiers roared with approval as they charged towards the city's gates without fear. When the gates were seized Dimitri launched the orders for the city's capture.

"Cut a path to the throne. This war ends today!"

Byleth rode beside him as their steeds charged through the main street of Enbarr. Sylvain and Felix veered away from the main battalion, true to their word they created a chaotic melee within the city. That would be enough cover for Ingrid as she led her Pegasus back to the skies and started to search for Dorothea.

The city was in chaos. The bodies piled the streets and Ingrid could only hope Dorothea wasn't one of the corpses on the ground. A part of her wished that she wouldn't encounter Dorothea, a part of her hoped that the girl had fled the capital instead of staying.

A foolish wish, she knew Dorothea was a stubborn loyal fool to the people she cared about. She would have stayed with Edelgard until the end.

"Where are you…"

She flew across the city, her mission was to find a former opera singer that once caught her attention. It shouldn't be so hard to find her and yet there was no trace of the girl. Ingrid was about to give up hope, the soldiers already clamored that the path towards the throne was nearly open and Hubert was on his last legs. Time was not on her side, she had to find Dorothea before Dimitri recalled her to his side.

She was too fixated on her target that she neglected to notice the sun's departure. Black clouds stirred from above and thunder boomed throughout the city. Rain started to pour and Ingrid felt her blood run cold when lightning almost struck her. It was just through sheer luck that she had dodged it. At first she only thought that nature hated her but slowly the lightning's patterns become easier to read. It was specifically aimed at her and the Kingdom's army.

Ingrid steered her pegasus through the onslaught. Bolts of lightning hurled down from the heavens and crashed down against their forces. Ingrid could hear the screams of their soldiers as they scattered out of their formation and tried to run for their lives.

"The Empire's mages are truly frightening."

Dorothea would have to wait, for now Ingrid had to find the culprit of this storm before it could bring her down as well. Time and time again she dodged the bolts of lightning that came her way. She had a few close calls but the further she went into the city, the stronger the storm had become. That was a telling sign that the maker of the spell was near. Her eyes darted around her vicinity as she searched for the mage. It couldn't possibly be Hubert now could it?

Her pegasus neighed in warning and Ingrid quickly jerked its reins to the side as they barely avoided a spell thrown towards their direction. That had been a close call but it was enough of a tell for her to find where the mage was located. Without wasting another second Ingrid flew towards the mage's direction.

The storm grew stronger the closer she got to the mage. She couldn't quite recognize who it was just yet, the rainfall made it hard to recognize anyone at this point. Ingrid held Luin and the spear's edge glowed with an eerie red light that brought her nothing but discomfort. The hesitation she felt dissipated as she dove from the skies with spear in hand towards the unidentified mage. Ingrid had been prepared to shed blood for her king, she was dutiful to a fault and now as a future knight of Dimitri's her resolve merely doubled.

However, everything collapsed the moment she had gotten close enough to recognize the mage's face. Time seemed to slow down as her mind pieced together the mage's identity. Red was the color she had chosen to don, brown the color of her hair which seemed to have gotten longer since the last time she had seen it. The color of her eyes were still the same even if it lacked the vibrance it once had. Ingrid still found herself lost in those eyes that seemed to know her every thought and move.

It had almost cost Ingrid her life as the mage didn't hesitate to send a bolt of lightning towards her direction. If it wasn't for her instincts it would have hit her square on the chest, instead it punched a hole through the chest of her pegasus. The creature buckled and fell from the skies and took Ingrid down with it. Her landing left much to be desired as she was thrown off her dying steed and tumbled to the ground. Her spear fell a bit farther from her side, the eerie glow it had disappeared once it separated from its wielder.

Ingrid struggled to bring herself up, her body ached in pain from the sudden fall but more importantly her heart had ached from what she had done. She didn't want their meeting to turn out like this. Aggressiveness wasn't something she had wanted to show. She was here to whisk her away like the heroes of old, not bring her demise. Ingrid kept her head down low as she mustered the courage to speak.

"Dorothea..." Her name left her lips so easily.

This was the first time they had seen each other throughout the course of the war. Ingrid made sure she avoided any confrontation with Dorothea because seeing her would have made her falter especially during Dimitri's absence. She would have left the Kingdom to be with her and that thought alone had frightened her down to the core.

"Ingrid." The blonde visibly winced at the lack of warmth that used to be present in Dorothea's voice.

War had changed the both of them it seems. Gone was the opera singer that had only wished to find someone to spend the rest of her life with. What laid in front of her was a woman dedicated to serving the Emperor of the Adrestian Empire. Dorothea unsheathed her blade, the blood had permanently stained it and Ingrid could only shudder at the thought of how many met their end from it.

The chances were slim but she had to try and talk her out of this. If there was a way for Dorothea to come out of this alive then she would take it. Her steed was gone but she knew that Sylvain would lend her his steed so they could escape while the city was besieged. The rain never relented and the storm grew worse as time went on.

"I take it that this storm is your doing? You did have an affinity for lightning even back in the academy." Back then her spells had been used to protect each other but now it was used to harm everyone else.

"Like it? I figured it would have kept you away but I severely underestimated your stubbornness…" Dorothea sounded distressed and it had sent a wave of confusion within Ingrid. The way she said her name was ice cold but the fact that she was distressed over failing to keep her away ironically warmed her heart.

"You shouldn't have joined the siege." Dorothea couldn't hide her face under a cap anymore. The storm that raged within her heart was as clear as day for Ingrid to see. Did Dorothea feel the same way she did? That the last thing they ever wanted was to confront each other in such a manner where blood had been spilled and their blades were at the ready?

"It is my duty to join my king in battle. As one of his  _ future _ knights I have to support him."

_ But if you wished it so, a part of me would abandon him just to keep you safe. _

Words unspoken were the deadliest. It was the truth that was purposefully erased. Ingrid couldn't bring herself to say it. The words of treason for a knight such as herself.

"Duty." Dorothea repeated it as she looked away from Ingrid. "You haven't changed a bit."

"I'm still the Ingrid that you know of." She was still the girl that Dorothea had met years ago in the Officer's Academy. Even if the war had changed them a part of her still remained the same. Like the part that deemed Dorothea as one of the most important people in her life.

"Please… come back with me." Ingrid earnestly pleaded.

Dorothea bit her lip. Of course, Ingrid would ask her to leave at the expense of the girl's honor. Surely, the houses that swore fealty towards the Kingdom would use this situation should they uncover it to seize Galatea lands. Yet, Ingrid still decided to push through with this silly plan.

It made her heart aflutter that regardless of everything she had done, Ingrid still wanted her back. Truly, this was a tragedy worth singing in the opera house. If only she could do that again, if only she could sing this tale between the both of them. It would have been such a wondrous production.

"I'm glad that you still think of me despite everything. You’re still the sweet Ingrid I once knew." Dorothea replied.

"I'm afraid that isn't an option for either of us." There was a smile of resignation on the songstress' face. "What would happen if we escaped? Surely, you realize what it would spell for your house and your name."

"House Galatea will fall from grace, your lands seized and the people your family was responsible for would have to deal with their new lords. You do understand that your situation isn't exactly a bright one."

Ingrid knew that Dorothea was right. If Ingrid escaped with her instead of carrying out her duty then House Galatea's reputation would plummet. Even if Dimitri was King there was no guarantee that the other houses would accept such treason. Fraldarius and Gautier would defend House Galatea but what of the others? Fodlan would be united if they happen to win this battle. Most Lords would seize the opportunity to strengthen themselves after the war, and if the heir of House Galatea had been caught saving the enemy then their lands could easily be given away.

It was selfish. Uncharacteristically selfish of Ingrid but that was what she wanted to do. She was the kind of knight that would die for their King should they wish of it. In the same way when it came to relationships, Ingrid would be the type to give everything away just for their significant other.

Duty or Love. She tried to balance both but some compromises were just impossible to achieve. Right now, it was either one or the other. If Dorothea would still refuse then she must carry out her duty as a knight of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus.

Ingrid hoped that wouldn't be the case.

"Even so, I would gladly stop being a knight just to keep you safe."

Dorothea used to appreciate Ingrid's honesty. It was her most charming aspect. Ingrid was severely honest and earnest to a fault. While it led to trouble at times, Dorothea loved that part of her the most. She knew that the girl's words weren't false and that was what made everything harder to bear.

"Stop…" Dorothea whispered.

Dorothea didn't want Ingrid to give up her dream just for her. That's not what love was supposed to be. She didn't want her wings to be clipped. Ingrid didn't belong at her side. Ingrid shouldn't live a life on the run should they escape together.

Ingrid deserved to be a knight whose achievements were written down in books. Her valiance immortalized in operas. She deserved to soar the skies of Fodlan atop a Pegasus with her spear in hand.

"Don't give up your dreams, just for my sake. Don't turn your back from the Kingdom for my sake."

_ I'm not worth the trouble. I can't give you the happiness you deserve. I'm not worth the things you'll lose. _

Dorothea had always disliked herself. She loved others but she never learned how to appreciate herself. Self-worth was a foreign concept for her and she often sought solace in the warmth of another. She couldn't understand what Ingrid saw in her to warrant such devotion.

She wished she could understand it. Maybe if she did, she could allow herself to let Ingrid give everything up for her sake.

"I want to hear songs about your deeds in the Opera House. I want to read tales of your gallantry that would be immortalized in poetry and books. I want to see you free. You belong in the sky as a knight of the Kingdom and not as a fugitive.”

Dorothea wanted so many things for Ingrid. She wanted the best for her and not this war that had been drawn out for so long. For five long years the Empire waged war across all of Fodlan and Dorothea continued to fight for Edelgard and her vision for the future. There were so many times that she could have just walked away, Edelgard would have let her but Dorothea had her principles, her own code of honor. She couldn’t walk away from Edelgard and Hubert, not when they needed her more than the others.

So all she could do was wish for so many things that she couldn’t have anymore. She wished to see Brigid with Petra. She wanted to hide within House Varley’s mansion with Bernadetta. She wanted to see Caspar and hear of his exploits. She wanted to see Lindhart’s peaceful face when he slept. Even tea time with Ferdinand was something she missed throughout the war. If she could just turn back the hands of time, she would have used it to spend more time with her friends and made sure that she would leave them without any regrets.

But most of all, she would have tried to give Ingrid all the happiness that she could have given to her. Dorothea was merely a commoner but she wished that she could have sang more songs for Ingrid whenever they were together.

“I chose my side and you chose yours. I’m not leaving them. I’m not leaving Edie and Hubie when they needed me the most.” Dorothea repeated those words inside her head and readied her blood-stained blade. The storm continued to ravage the Kingdom’s army, preventing any reinforcements to help those who had already entered the inner region of the city.

“Just like how you never left Dimitri’s side when he needed you and everyone else.”

Ingrid bit her lip. This was the answer she dreaded the most. The answer she expected but never wished to hear. Dorothea had always been so stubborn, once she had made up her mind it was hard to dissuade her. What’s worse was that the girl was extremely loyal to her friends, to the ones that needed her the most. And the same could be said about her, Ingrid’s loyalty was to Dimitri.

But again, there were words that were left unspoken. One that spoke of treason just to keep Dorothea safe. However, it was clear that if she had done it Dorothea would just end up being disgusted by her for the rest of her life. The world was cruel and full of irony. To save Dorothea would mean to be hated by her while to fight her here and now would prove that she was still the same Ingrid that Dorothea had respected and loved all those years ago.

Ingrid hated it. The duty she must fulfill, the principles she must uphold, the role she must play in this war. At that very moment she hated it all. The legends, the chivalry, the code of honor she valued, she hated every single one of them as she drew her blade.

“I never wanted this for us.” Ingrid confessed before steel clashed against steel.

Dorothea made the first move as she thrusts her blade forward and followed it up with a few quick spells. Ingrid easily parried the thrust but before she could make a move the spells that Dorothea had thrown in quick succession pushed her to move back and retreat. Fighting a mage was the absolute worse without a steed but Dorothea brought it to a whole new level.

The songstress’ movements were swift, graceful, and dangerous. Her slashes were calculated and precise, Ingrid barely had any time to process her attacks, for as soon as Dorothea executed a move she would follow it up already with a different pattern of attack. Ingrid had to keep herself on the defensive. Even when she tried to counter attack, Dorothea could easily repel her sword with magic. Felix had commented before on how Dorothea was skilled with a blade and her ability to keep up with him back in the academy. Ingrid was trained in the art of swordsmanship however her true calling had always been with the lance. To fight against Dorothea with her secondary weapon gave her a severe handicap. Ingrid slashed through another bolt of lightning that was thrown towards her, she had to seize the pace somehow if she remained on the defensive the brunette would soon overpower her. 

Dorothea could only click her tongue in annoyance as she once again moved forward and flourished her blade before landing a combination of thrusts and slashes against Ingrid. Her goal was to overwhelm Ingrid with speed and magic. For every technique that she executed, she made sure to follow it up with a quick spell or two. It drained her energy faster but as long as she kept Ingrid on her back foot then an opportunity would arise for her to finally bring the girl down.

Dorothea’s strikes weren’t heavy but they were unrelenting. Ingrid had to parry every thrust and slash that the girl sent. The window of opportunity for her to strike was far too short for her to utilize. Her arms felt heavy as they continued their bout with neither one giving away any openings. However, Ingrid knew that she was the one that was on the verge of losing, Dorothea kept pushing her back and though the girl appeared to be even more tired than she was, the brunette didn’t exactly fall from the sky like she did earlier.

It was agonizing to lift her right arm as she continued to parry her strikes. Ingrid had to create her own opportunity so she could dive towards the side in order to grab a hold of Luin. The rain continued to make things difficult for her, the ground was slippery and her balance was off but still Ingrid had to shoulder on. Dorothea spun and aimed a strike towards her head, was that the opportunity she needed? There was no room for hesitation on the battlefield, she needed to give herself some breathing room from Dorothea’s attacks.

Instead of merely defending against the attack, Ingrid took the risk and pushed forward. She raised her blade in order to catch Dorothea’s attack before slightly lifting it by the pommel in order to trap it against her sword’s guard. Ingrid kicked Dorothea away before the songstress could hurl a spell towards her. She only had a few seconds of reprieve and Ingrid had to make this opportunity count. She quickly rushed to where Luin had fallen and retrieved the relic. As soon as her hand made contact with the relic, its tip gave an eerie glow and its shaft almost looked as if it was perpetually on fire. Ingrid discarded her blade in favor of using House Galatea’s weapon; a lance would always be her preferred choice of weaponry.

But before she could relish in the comfort of grasping a lance, Dorothea had sent a spell towards her chest. Ingrid was blown a few meters away from where she stood. It felt hard to breath, Ingrid could see part of her armor turn into a pile of liquid metal. If she hadn’t worn it then perhaps her insides would have suffered instead.

“Gather your troops and leave.” Dorothea exclaimed as she slowly approached the fallen girl. The rain had completely ruined her dress but she still looked as elegant as the day Ingrid first saw her star on the opera performance she organized back at the Officer’s Academy.

“I’ll spare your life if you do so.” Dorothea wished Ingrid would back down. She didn’t want to cross a line but she would do it if she had no other choice.

Ingrid looked up to gaze at Dorothea’s face. She knew that the girl was serious about it. So that’s how far they’ve fallen? That they wouldn’t hesitate to deal the killing blow if they had to? Ingrid hated it, the story that was written for the two of them. She hated it with a passion and gripped the shaft of her lance.

“The capital will fall. Edelgard will lose. Dimitri and the professor will make sure that we succeed. I won’t leave!” Ingrid quickly got up and swung her lance, if not for Dorothea’s reflexes she would have received a nasty gash.

“Then die!” Dorothea shouted as she threw a few lightning spells towards Ingrid.

The girl easily blocked them away using her Hero Relic, truly it was a frightening piece of weaponry, one she must wield as the heir of House Galatea. It was Ingrid’s turn now as she pressed on the offensive and attacked Dorothea with a series of sweeps and thrusts from her lance. The brunette could do little to guard against the onslaught. Her magic tried to block it to no avail as the lance’s blade easily cuts through it.

Dorothea had no choice but to do this the hard way. With each thrust and sweep that Ingrid had thrown towards her way, she returned it with a series of slashes and quick thrusts. Neither one of them was going to relent, neither one of them was willing to yield for the other. Both of them had made their choices and resigned to their fates.

Amidst the heavy rain and the erratic lightning, two figures stood at opposite ends of the battlefield. To the left was a sworn knight of the kingdom and to the right was a songstress who remained loyal to those that needed her the most. Both of their eyes were locked onto each other as they readied to strike. Ingrid held Luin’s shaft and bent her knees down, it was obvious that she was going to lunge towards Dorothea in order to cut the distance and strike. Dorothea on the other hand gripped the handle of her sword with both of her hands, she had no energy left to wield another spell, all she had now was the remaining vestiges of her strength. Dorothea pointed her blade towards the back of her body, ready to strike at a moments notice.

There was no hesitation left in their eyes. Lightning descended between them and as soon as it dissipated, Ingrid and Dorothea lunged towards one another. The knight thrusted her lance towards Dorothea and the songstress lets her blade sing against the rain. Blood splattered on the battlefield.

Ingrid looked down at her torso, there was a deep yet unfinished cut. She saw her blood drip down the broken pavements of Enbarr, mixed with someone else’s. Luin had struck true, its blade embedded within the songstress’ chest. Dorothea coughed out copious amounts of blood as she tried to speak. It was over. There should be a victor but Ingrid felt that both of them had lost.

Dorothea's sword fell onto the pavement and the fresh blood on its blade was slowly being washed away by the rain. You can wash away the blood but never the sins you've committed. Ingrid pulled out the lance and with one swift motion she had dropped it in order to catch Dorothea in her arms. Her body felt cold to the touch and Ingrid wishes she had more time with her, just a second or a minute longer was enough.

"I never wanted this…" Ingrid whispered.

"...neither...did I...but sometimes there are things...you can't ever find a compromise with…" Dorothea softly spoke as she tried to keep herself awake for just a bit more.

Ingrid held her in her arms, under the dying rage of the storm. It wasn't supposed to end this way. Ingrid wanted to whisk her away, escape with her, live a quiet life in some remote place in Fodlan or maybe even seek refuge in Almyra.

"I wanted so many things for you…" She wanted so many things for Dorothea and death was not one of them.

She held her hand and her fingers lightly touched the ring on Dorothea’s finger. Ingrid’s eyes immediately darted towards the accessory. It was the very same ring that she had given to Dorothea after the girl had saved her from one of her suitors. She wished she could go back to that time wherein her greatest troubles were just about suitors and House Galatea, to a time when she could indulge herself in Dorothea’s presence without thinking of the consequences. A time of peace where the two of them could stay together under the shade of a tree, a place where Dorothea would just sing a few songs she had written during their free time, a time where Ingrid could bask in her warmth without a care in the world.

“I never expected that you’d keep wearing it after all this time…” Ingrid had thought that Dorothea would have given it away by now. A ring that was full of empty promises.

“...I could never...it’s the only thing I have left of you…”

Dorothea weakly reached out towards Ingrid’s cheek. She gently cupped it and lets her thumb brush against her skin. She could never throw that ring away. It was the only thing that reminded her of Ingrid. It helped her not to forget the girl who had given her something far more important than jewelry and gold.

Love was all she wanted, to have someone to share the rest of her life with. Ingrid had given her love and she knew she could have been happy with her. But they had chosen opposite sides and had put their feelings aside. Maybe, in another timeline things would have been different but for this one they had to accept the consequences of their decisions and the paths that they took. This would be the final intersection of their paths and Dorothea wanted her last thoughts to be about her, the knight of the sky that she somehow had fallen for.

“Remember when the professor thought I was proposing to you?” Ingrid chuckled at the memory. Byleth had been so shocked when she gave the ring to Dorothea. “...I wish I actually did.”

If Ingrid only knew that this would have happened then she would have asked Dorothea right then and there or at the very least had promised a possible future with her. But she didn’t, she had brushed it off as a showcase of gratitude. Now all she could do was hold her, keep her company underneath the torrent of rain. Ingrid was grateful that the storm managed to hide her tears, she doesn’t want her crying face to be the last thing Dorothea would see.

“I would…have...said yes…” The songstress tried to smile. At the very least she wouldn’t die a cold and lonely death. She would have apologized to Ingrid for this mess but she knew no amount of apology would ever be enough.

So all she could do was to be honest with her until the end.

“...I’m glad…” Dorothea weakly said, she couldn’t keep herself awake anymore. She could barely feel her fingers and her vision started to blur. “...you’re...the last thing...I’d see…”

Ingrid held the hand that had cupped her cheek and lightly squeezed against it. The storm started to part, the sun finally gracing the battlefield with its warmth again but Ingrid couldn’t feel it at all. No amount of warmth could bring back what she had lost today.

“...I’ll save a dance for you...in the ne...xt... li--” Dorothea couldn’t even finish her last words as the strength faded from her body and her eyes had finally closed.

“I’ll look forward to it…” Ingrid told her, even if she knew that Dorothea would never hear it anymore. “I’ll dance with you again… underneath our tree in the monastery… so just rest… I’ll meet you again.“

Someday, she would just have to believe that their paths would once again cross and this time she would make sure to not let her slip away again. Ingrid pressed her lips onto the brunette’s forehead before she allowed herself to cry and grieve. She held her until the bitter end. Even as the city erupted in cheers for the Kingdom’s victory, Ingrid continued to grieve.

Duty or Love, both of them had chosen the former. Truly, duty is the death of love.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic for the FE3H fandom, and hopefully not the last! Dorothea's one of my favorites in FE3H and I support most of the 'supports' she has in the game and I was really very intrigued with the dynamic she and Ingrid had! Forgiveness if certain things seemed ooc or inaccurate, still trying to figure out how to capture the characters since they were all beautifully written in the game!
> 
> If you guys got any questions or requests feel free to hit me up at [twitter!!](https://twitter.com/seibaaanobu)


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